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The BJP's massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/ravi-kishan-meets-yogi-adityanath-after-winning-gorakhpur-lok-sabha-seat-221437">Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers</a> as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet.

Also, a vacancy was created after the disgruntled minister and SBSP leader O P Rajbhar was sacked by the chief minister for his outburst against his senior NDA partner, the BJP.

The ruling party is likely to reward its leaders for their hard work during the general election campaigning which resulted in it winning 62 seats, BJP sources said.

This would be the first cabinet reshuffle since Adityanath was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017.

Adityanath had indicated during an interview to PTI that a cabinet reshuffling was very much on the cards and he was likely to take a decision soon.

Watch:&nbsp;PM Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and UP's CM Yogi Adityanath together to address BJP workers

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pm-modi-bjp-president-amit-shah-and-ups-cm-yogi-adityanath-together-to-address-bjp-workers-221919/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We will do it (Cabinet expansion). We will do everything as and when time comes. We will do everything in the interest of the state," he had said.

"Mahendra Singh was the party's in-charge in Assam, where the BJP had won nine out of 14 Lok Sabha seats. After the elections were over in Assam, he was assigned the task of organising the roadshow of BJP chief Amit Shah in Amethi and Gorakhpur. Both the roadshows were highly successful," a senior UP BJP leader told PTI.

Mahendra Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Rural Development and Overall Village Development.

Another leader of the BJP state unit said UP minister Swatantradev Singh was made in-charge of the crucial state of Madhya Pradesh, where the party bagged 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats.

"The task was indeed very challenging as the BJP had lost in the assembly elections to the Congress. Hence, to boost the morale of the party workers and to ensure that a positive result for the party comes from that state was a tough task. His efforts paid rich dividends for the party, as Congress bigwigs such as Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia had to taste defeat," he said.

Swatantradev Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Transport and Protocol.

Four cabinet ministers in the UP government were in the poll fray. Of them, three won and one lost.

UP Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry, Minor Irrigation and Fisheries S P Singh Baghel registered a win from Agra by a margin of 2,11,546 votes.

Similarly, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is the minister of women's welfare, family welfare, mother and child welfare, tourism, won from Allahabad, defeating her nearest rival Rajendra Singh Patel by 1,84,275 votes.

Satyadev Pachauri, who holds the portfolio of Khadi Village Industries, Sericulture, Textile, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Export Promotion, won from Kanpur.

However, UP Cooperative Minister Mukut Bihari Verma lost to BSP's Ritesh Pandey by 95,880 votes.

With the monsoon session of the UP Legislative Assembly likely in the next couple of months, it is to be seen whether the reshuffle takes place before or after the session.

The BJP's massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet.

The BJP's massive win in Uttar Pradesh has paved the way for the first reshuffle of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's council of ministers as three ministers have won the Lok Sabha election creating vacancies in the state Cabinet. Also, a vacancy was created after the disgruntled minister and SBSP leader O P Rajbhar was sacked by the chief minister for his outburst against his senior NDA partner, the BJP. The ruling party is likely to reward its leaders for their hard work during the general election campaigning which resulted in it winning 62 seats, BJP sources said. This would be the first cabinet reshuffle since Adityanath was sworn in as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh in March 2017. Adityanath had indicated during an interview to PTI that a cabinet reshuffling was very much on the cards and he was likely to take a decision soon. Watch: PM Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and UP's CM Yogi Adityanath together to address BJP workers "We will do it (Cabinet expansion). We will do everything as and when time comes. We will do everything in the interest of the state," he had said. "Mahendra Singh was the party's in-charge in Assam, where the BJP had won nine out of 14 Lok Sabha seats. After the elections were over in Assam, he was assigned the task of organising the roadshow of BJP chief Amit Shah in Amethi and Gorakhpur. Both the roadshows were highly successful," a senior UP BJP leader told PTI. Mahendra Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Rural Development and Overall Village Development. Another leader of the BJP state unit said UP minister Swatantradev Singh was made in-charge of the crucial state of Madhya Pradesh, where the party bagged 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats. "The task was indeed very challenging as the BJP had lost in the assembly elections to the Congress. Hence, to boost the morale of the party workers and to ensure that a positive result for the party comes from that state was a tough task. His efforts paid rich dividends for the party, as Congress bigwigs such as Digvijay Singh and Jyotiraditya Scindia had to taste defeat," he said. Swatantradev Singh is the minister of state (independent charge) for Transport and Protocol. Four cabinet ministers in the UP government were in the poll fray. Of them, three won and one lost. UP Cabinet Minister for Animal Husbandry, Minor Irrigation and Fisheries S P Singh Baghel registered a win from Agra by a margin of 2,11,546 votes. Similarly, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who is the minister of women's welfare, family welfare, mother and child welfare, tourism, won from Allahabad, defeating her nearest rival Rajendra Singh Patel by 1,84,275 votes. Satyadev Pachauri, who holds the portfolio of Khadi Village Industries, Sericulture, Textile, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Export Promotion, won from Kanpur. However, UP Cooperative Minister Mukut Bihari Verma lost to BSP's Ritesh Pandey by 95,880 votes. With the monsoon session of the UP Legislative Assembly likely in the next couple of months, it is to be seen whether the reshuffle takes place before or after the session.

Lok Sabha results create vacancies in Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, first reshuffle likely soon

With the NDA-3 government in the forming, one of the focussed domains of its predecessor NDA-2 comes to mind. Foreign policy was one of the success stories of NDA-2, something not too many people expected at the outset. That is the domain which must not lose focus with the next government because there will be many competing domains of equal significance. The Prime Minister chose to make this the area of his personal focus too in the last government, undertaking long travels to be at the important strategic diplomatic events and meetings with world leaders. However, in strategic leadership, time management is one of the major challenges. It is unlikely that in his next avatar Narendra Modi can devote as much time to foreign policy as he did in the previous. Much depends on the choice of his Cabinet and the identity of the right talent. The economy is going to take up much of his time, especially in view of the escalation in energy prices and the impending continuation of trade wars and agriculture-related problems.&nbsp;

Internal security too will demand much more of his time because, under NDA-2, issues such as J&amp;K at best festered and then stabilised with no transformational outcomes on the horizon. It will need his personal energy if Modi has to convert the situation in J&amp;K to any advantage at a time when Pakistan is on a suspected ‘time out’. Similarly, the National Security Advisor remained most involved with foreign policy to find adequate time for internal security. Under NDA-3, I would expect a foreign policy to be handled far more by the Ministry of External Affairs with ministers and advisors who have the total confidence and the ear of the Prime Minister.&nbsp;

In the foreign policy domain, the prime issues at stake for addressing in the immediate future rotate around the Middle East where war seems imminent on a day and far removed the very next. Considering the strength of India’s relationship with the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran, as also the stakes that exist for it in the stability of this crucial region, perhaps the weight of Indian diplomacy could be a few shades higher. Engagement with all of them must be visible beyond just diplomatic niceties. It is accepted that the US-Iran crisis developed rapidly and unexpectedly through the period of India’s high decibel elections when it was difficult for the government to have the time of the Prime Minister to focus on it. However, amends must be made and made quickly. Our stakes in the Gulf region go beyond just energy and relate more importantly to the almost 7.5 million Indian expatriates who earn their living there and remit almost 37 billion US$ every year. The fact that Iran’s foreign minister came calling on India among the important stakeholders conveys Iran’s dependence on India too. The Middle East success of NDA-2 was indeed one of its high marks. Can it be exploited to advantage by NDA-3.

NDA-3 is going to transit through the next US presidential election. The strategic partnership with the US has moved many notches in the last five years but isn’t entirely cast in iron. Clash of interests is expected at times, but this must not lead to a downturn in relations. If India could weather the Trump Administration there should be no problem handling more altruistic ones. The challenge for NDA-3 lies in convincing the US that India’s foreign policy will need to be multilateral in nature without compromising on mutual Indo-US strategic interests. Among the thorny issues will be Russia which for India is a crucial nation. We cannot have threats being posed&nbsp;on the imposition of the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India due to irritants caused by the 5 billion US$ S-400 deal. India needs institutional support, technology, and strategic backing from the US in its progress to higher status but it cannot compromise relationships which could be just a couple of notches lower in significance.&nbsp;

More long-term than most other engagements is the domain of Sino-India relations. NDA-2 handled this well considering that in 2017 relations were at nadir due to Doklam. The government walked away with credits for having stood its ground without immediate compromise. That the PLA then, went on to construct state of the art facilities for housing a regiment of the PLA opposite Doklam has received criticism in India. Yet, it is also clear that most of this infrastructure does not relate to warfighting. Where Modi really scored was the follow-up to Doklam which ultimately took him to Wuhan for a dialogue with Xi Jinping. That dialogue has resulted in the current stability of the relationship. Now, with China in a state of worry after the trade war unleashed by the US, it is India which holds much significance for China. Trade stands at 95 billion US$ and volumes can be enhanced to sustain the Chinese GDP growth in an era of high energy prices. &nbsp;This is an issue which will need attention to make the most of.&nbsp;

The domain which is unmistakably going to be challenging is the Indo-Pacific. The US has invested much in India to rake it into a strategic construct which could actively deny China the freedom to muscle its way in the Pacific and feel threatened in the Indian Ocean.&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-nda-3-s-foreign-policy-hurdles-2753404">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

With the NDA-3 government in the forming, one of the focussed domains of its predecessor NDA-2 comes to mind. Foreign policy was one of the success stories of NDA-2, something not too many people expected at the outset.

With the NDA-3 government in the forming, one of the focussed domains of its predecessor NDA-2 comes to mind. Foreign policy was one of the success stories of NDA-2, something not too many people expected at the outset. That is the domain which must not lose focus with the next government because there will be many competing domains of equal significance. The Prime Minister chose to make this the area of his personal focus too in the last government, undertaking long travels to be at the important strategic diplomatic events and meetings with world leaders. However, in strategic leadership, time management is one of the major challenges. It is unlikely that in his next avatar Narendra Modi can devote as much time to foreign policy as he did in the previous. Much depends on the choice of his Cabinet and the identity of the right talent. The economy is going to take up much of his time, especially in view of the escalation in energy prices and the impending continuation of trade wars and agriculture-related problems. Internal security too will demand much more of his time because, under NDA-2, issues such as J&K at best festered and then stabilised with no transformational outcomes on the horizon. It will need his personal energy if Modi has to convert the situation in J&K to any advantage at a time when Pakistan is on a suspected ‘time out’. Similarly, the National Security Advisor remained most involved with foreign policy to find adequate time for internal security. Under NDA-3, I would expect a foreign policy to be handled far more by the Ministry of External Affairs with ministers and advisors who have the total confidence and the ear of the Prime Minister. In the foreign policy domain, the prime issues at stake for addressing in the immediate future rotate around the Middle East where war seems imminent on a day and far removed the very next. Considering the strength of India’s relationship with the US, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iran, as also the stakes that exist for it in the stability of this crucial region, perhaps the weight of Indian diplomacy could be a few shades higher. Engagement with all of them must be visible beyond just diplomatic niceties. It is accepted that the US-Iran crisis developed rapidly and unexpectedly through the period of India’s high decibel elections when it was difficult for the government to have the time of the Prime Minister to focus on it. However, amends must be made and made quickly. Our stakes in the Gulf region go beyond just energy and relate more importantly to the almost 7.5 million Indian expatriates who earn their living there and remit almost 37 billion US$ every year. The fact that Iran’s foreign minister came calling on India among the important stakeholders conveys Iran’s dependence on India too. The Middle East success of NDA-2 was indeed one of its high marks. Can it be exploited to advantage by NDA-3. NDA-3 is going to transit through the next US presidential election. The strategic partnership with the US has moved many notches in the last five years but isn’t entirely cast in iron. Clash of interests is expected at times, but this must not lead to a downturn in relations. If India could weather the Trump Administration there should be no problem handling more altruistic ones. The challenge for NDA-3 lies in convincing the US that India’s foreign policy will need to be multilateral in nature without compromising on mutual Indo-US strategic interests. Among the thorny issues will be Russia which for India is a crucial nation. We cannot have threats being posed on the imposition of the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) on India due to irritants caused by the 5 billion US$ S-400 deal. India needs institutional support, technology, and strategic backing from the US in its progress to higher status but it cannot compromise relationships which could be just a couple of notches lower in significance. More long-term than most other engagements is the domain of Sino-India relations. NDA-2 handled this well considering that in 2017 relations were at nadir due to Doklam. The government walked away with credits for having stood its ground without immediate compromise. That the PLA then, went on to construct state of the art facilities for housing a regiment of the PLA opposite Doklam has received criticism in India. Yet, it is also clear that most of this infrastructure does not relate to warfighting. Where Modi really scored was the follow-up to Doklam which ultimately took him to Wuhan for a dialogue with Xi Jinping. That dialogue has resulted in the current stability of the relationship. Now, with China in a state of worry after the trade war unleashed by the US, it is India which holds much significance for China. Trade stands at 95 billion US$ and volumes can be enhanced to sustain the Chinese GDP growth in an era of high energy prices. This is an issue which will need attention to make the most of. The domain which is unmistakably going to be challenging is the Indo-Pacific. The US has invested much in India to rake it into a strategic construct which could actively deny China the freedom to muscle its way in the Pacific and feel threatened in the Indian Ocean. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

NDA-3’s foreign policy hurdles

BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK are likely to be part of the new government while it will also reflect the BJP's inroads into states like West Bengal and Telangana, sources said Sunday.

A JD(U) leader said the Bihar party expects at least one Cabinet berth in the government which will be sworn in on May 30. The party may also get one more berth in the Council of Ministers.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Sunday that Narendra Modi will be sworn in as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/your-satisfaction-is-my-lifes-mantra-pm-modi-to-varanasi-bjp-workers-221920">Prime Minister</a> on Thursday for his second term.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

Though there has been no official word on likely faces in the new government, many leaders are of the view that most key members of the previous dispensation will be retained.

There has been speculation that Arun Jaitley, who held the finance portfolio in the previous government, may opt out due to health reasons but people close to him have insisted that he has been doing well after undergoing treatment.

The government on Sunday stepped in to insist that reports regarding his health condition are false and baseless.

"Reports in a section of media regarding Union Minister Shri Arun Jaitley's health condition are false and baseless. Media is advised to stay clear of rumour mongering," its principal spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted.

Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, who is associated with the BJP, said Jaitley is off all medication now and is recovering his strength. He is still meeting officials, Dasgupta said.

"Questions about Arun Jaitley health understandable. He is recovering from a bout of heavy medication. But he is still in terrific form and his wit is firmly intact. Needs a little rest to get back his strength. All our good wishes," Dasgupta tweeted.

A number of senior faces from the outgoing Cabinet including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal, Narendra Singh Tomar and Prakash Javadekar are expected to figure in the new Cabinet.

Speculation has been rife that BJP president Amit Shah, who won the Lok Sabha election from Gandhinagar with a massive margin, may also join the government. Shah has refrained from commenting on the matter.&nbsp;

Another BJP ally LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, sources said, has pushed for induction of his MP-son Chirag Paswan in the government.

His party LJP won six seats in the polls. Ram Vilas Paswan, one of the most veteran parliamentarians, was a Cabinet minister in the last government.

Though the AIADMK, which was also not part of the previous government, has won only one seat, it may be given a ministerial berth as it is in power in Tamil Nadu and a key Dravidian ally of the BJP.

The BJP put up its best-ever show in West Bengal and Telangana these elections, winning 18 (from two in 2014) and four seats (from one in 2014) respectively in the two states. This may result in the party giving greater representation to these states in the government.&nbsp;

BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK are likely to be part of the new government while it will also reflect the BJP's inroads into states like West Bengal and Telangana, sources said Sunday.

BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK are likely to be part of the new government while it will also reflect the BJP's inroads into states like West Bengal and Telangana, sources said Sunday. A JD(U) leader said the Bihar party expects at least one Cabinet berth in the government which will be sworn in on May 30. The party may also get one more berth in the Council of Ministers. The Rashtrapati Bhavan said on Sunday that Narendra Modi will be sworn in as Prime Minister on Thursday for his second term. Though there has been no official word on likely faces in the new government, many leaders are of the view that most key members of the previous dispensation will be retained. There has been speculation that Arun Jaitley, who held the finance portfolio in the previous government, may opt out due to health reasons but people close to him have insisted that he has been doing well after undergoing treatment. The government on Sunday stepped in to insist that reports regarding his health condition are false and baseless. "Reports in a section of media regarding Union Minister Shri Arun Jaitley's health condition are false and baseless. Media is advised to stay clear of rumour mongering," its principal spokesperson Sitanshu Kar tweeted. Rajya Sabha MP Swapan Dasgupta, who is associated with the BJP, said Jaitley is off all medication now and is recovering his strength. He is still meeting officials, Dasgupta said. "Questions about Arun Jaitley health understandable. He is recovering from a bout of heavy medication. But he is still in terrific form and his wit is firmly intact. Needs a little rest to get back his strength. All our good wishes," Dasgupta tweeted. A number of senior faces from the outgoing Cabinet including Rajnath Singh, Nitin Gadkari, Nirmala Sitharaman, Ravi Shankar Prasad, Piyush Goyal, Narendra Singh Tomar and Prakash Javadekar are expected to figure in the new Cabinet. Speculation has been rife that BJP president Amit Shah, who won the Lok Sabha election from Gandhinagar with a massive margin, may also join the government. Shah has refrained from commenting on the matter. Another BJP ally LJP president Ram Vilas Paswan, sources said, has pushed for induction of his MP-son Chirag Paswan in the government. His party LJP won six seats in the polls. Ram Vilas Paswan, one of the most veteran parliamentarians, was a Cabinet minister in the last government. Though the AIADMK, which was also not part of the previous government, has won only one seat, it may be given a ministerial berth as it is in power in Tamil Nadu and a key Dravidian ally of the BJP. The BJP put up its best-ever show in West Bengal and Telangana these elections, winning 18 (from two in 2014) and four seats (from one in 2014) respectively in the two states. This may result in the party giving greater representation to these states in the government.

New allies, fresh conquests to find representation in Modi's new Cabinet

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/prime-minister-narendra-modi-to-visit-varanasi-today-221858">arrived at his home constituency Varanasi</a> and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here.

Modi began his speech amid the chants of "Modi-Modi", he thanked BJP chief Amit Shah and the people of Varanasi.&nbsp;

"I am also a BJP worker, therefore, whatever mandate the party and its workers pronounce, I try to follow that," Modi said.&nbsp;

He said that the party's victory was apparent in Varanasi's attitude "that I had witnessed a month back during my visit here".

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
PM: After the campaign, I used to think of coming here but I used to recall your orders. Maine socha ye nahi to koi aur baba. Rarely is a candidate so relaxed, as I was, during elections &amp; the results. Your hardwork was the reason for it. I was relaxed so I went to Kedarnath. <a href="https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC">https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132912695148072963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"Party workers' satisfaction is my goal," he said.&nbsp;

Modi that this election season "saw chemistry taking over arithmetic".&nbsp;

The PM-designate stated that throughout the election season, he was calm and free from any worry as his trust was placed in the hard work of the many BJP 'karyakartas' (workers) you toiled tirelessly and led the party to a grand victory.&nbsp;

Modi was accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.&nbsp;

He will hold a 5-kilometre-long roadshow later in the day, as a gesture of gratitude toward the people of Varanasi for his Lok Sabha win and as a sign of celebrating BJP's historic success in the Lok Sabha 2019.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. <a href="https://t.co/HbCMaJRqib">pic.twitter.com/HbCMaJRqib</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1132881512565751809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The visit is significant as Modi registered a landslide win form the parliamentary constituency by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. This is his first domestic visit soon after the general election results were announced last week.&nbsp;

Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections.

On Sunday, the prime minister-elect visited his home state Gujarat and sought blessings from his mother in Gandhinagar. He also visited Ahmedabad where he paid tributes at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the airport and later addressed a gathering of BJP workers along with party chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

PM Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister on May 30. Up next on PM Modi's agenda would be to name his Cabinet for the second term.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here. Modi began his speech amid the chants of "Modi-Modi", he thanked BJP chief Amit Shah and the people of Varanasi. "I am also a BJP worker, therefore, whatever mandate the party and its workers pronounce, I try to follow that," Modi said. He said that the party's victory was apparent in Varanasi's attitude "that I had witnessed a month back during my visit here". PM: After the campaign, I used to think of coming here but I used to recall your orders. Maine socha ye nahi to koi aur baba. Rarely is a candidate so relaxed, as I was, during elections & the results. Your hardwork was the reason for it. I was relaxed so I went to Kedarnath. https://t.co/WujSBxgkyC — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × "Party workers' satisfaction is my goal," he said. Modi that this election season "saw chemistry taking over arithmetic". The PM-designate stated that throughout the election season, he was calm and free from any worry as his trust was placed in the hard work of the many BJP 'karyakartas' (workers) you toiled tirelessly and led the party to a grand victory. Modi was accompanied by BJP chief Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He will hold a 5-kilometre-long roadshow later in the day, as a gesture of gratitude toward the people of Varanasi for his Lok Sabha win and as a sign of celebrating BJP's historic success in the Lok Sabha 2019. #WATCH Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. pic.twitter.com/HbCMaJRqib — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) May 27, 2019 × The visit is significant as Modi registered a landslide win form the parliamentary constituency by a margin of over 4 lakh votes. This is his first domestic visit soon after the general election results were announced last week. Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections. On Sunday, the prime minister-elect visited his home state Gujarat and sought blessings from his mother in Gandhinagar. He also visited Ahmedabad where he paid tributes at the statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel near the airport and later addressed a gathering of BJP workers along with party chief Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vijay Rupani. PM Modi is set to take oath as the Prime Minister on May 30. Up next on PM Modi's agenda would be to name his Cabinet for the second term.

Your satisfaction is my life's mantra: PM Modi thanks BJP workers in Varanasi

BJP president Amit Shah said on Monday that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/your-satisfaction-is-my-lifes-mantra-pm-modi-to-varanasi-bjp-workers-221920">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> has transformed Kashi in the last five years.

He also thanked voters here for supporting Modi and re-electing him to the Lok Sabha for the second term.

Shah, who has won his maiden Lok Sabha election from Gandhinagar, said when Modi visited the party workers on the day he filed his nomination papers, it became clear that he was going to win.

"I thank you&nbsp;all. At the same time you are lucky to have a person like Modi to represent you in Lok Sabha," he said, addressing party workers here.

"Perhaps it is the only election where the candidate has not visited constituency after filing nomination. It reflects the confidence Modi had on his voters," he added.

He accompanied Modi to Varanasi where the prime minister offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple soon after his arrival.

Both Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in their speeches here, focused on the "gruelling" campaigning that Modi undertook in the run-up to the general elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here.

Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections.

BJP president Amit Shah said on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed Kashi in the last five years. He also thanked voters here for supporting Modi and re-electing him to the Lok Sabha for the second term.

BJP president Amit Shah said on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has transformed Kashi in the last five years. He also thanked voters here for supporting Modi and re-electing him to the Lok Sabha for the second term. Shah, who has won his maiden Lok Sabha election from Gandhinagar, said when Modi visited the party workers on the day he filed his nomination papers, it became clear that he was going to win. "I thank you all. At the same time you are lucky to have a person like Modi to represent you in Lok Sabha," he said, addressing party workers here. "Perhaps it is the only election where the candidate has not visited constituency after filing nomination. It reflects the confidence Modi had on his voters," he added. He accompanied Modi to Varanasi where the prime minister offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple soon after his arrival. Both Shah and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, in their speeches here, focused on the "gruelling" campaigning that Modi undertook in the run-up to the general elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday arrived at his home constituency Varanasi and paid a visit to the famous Kashi Vishwanath Temple. After offering prayers and performing rituals at the temple, the prime minister-elect addressed party workers here. Modi defeated his Samajwadi Party (SP) rival Shalini Yadav by a margin of over 4.80 lakh votes in the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. The BJP, which had won 282 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, managed to increase its tally and notched up 303 seats in the 2019 elections.

PM Modi transformed Kashi in five years: Amit Shah

BJP vice president and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to congratulate him for comfortably winning the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,16,009 votes, winning the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,16,009 votes.

Singh, the longest-serving chief minister of Chhattisgarh, also presented a beautiful flower bouquet to Gadkari.

Former BJP president Gadkari retained Nagpur seat by defeating Congress candidate Nana Patole.

Gadkari, who had won the Nagpur constituency in 2014, polled 6,60,221 votes.

At present, he is a minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, and River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

Narendra Modi-led NDA swept the elections and won 352 out of 542 seats in the 17th Lok Sabha elections.

As per official numbers, the BJP secured 303 seats, 22 more than its 2014 figures.

On Saturday, an NDA delegation led by BJP president Amit Shah had called on President Ram Nath Kovind and staked claim to form the government. Gadkari was also present in the meeting.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

BJP vice president and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to congratulate him for comfortably winning the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,16,009 votes, winning the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,16,009 votes.

BJP vice president and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday met Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to congratulate him for comfortably winning the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,16,009 votes, winning the Nagpur Lok Sabha seat by a margin of 2,16,009 votes. Singh, the longest-serving chief minister of Chhattisgarh, also presented a beautiful flower bouquet to Gadkari. Former BJP president Gadkari retained Nagpur seat by defeating Congress candidate Nana Patole. Gadkari, who had won the Nagpur constituency in 2014, polled 6,60,221 votes. At present, he is a minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, and River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Narendra Modi-led NDA swept the elections and won 352 out of 542 seats in the 17th Lok Sabha elections. As per official numbers, the BJP secured 303 seats, 22 more than its 2014 figures. On Saturday, an NDA delegation led by BJP president Amit Shah had called on President Ram Nath Kovind and staked claim to form the government. Gadkari was also present in the meeting.

Raman Singh meets Nitin Gadkari, extends wishes for retaining Nagpur Lok Sabha seat

DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said no single state can be ignored by the government at the Centre and asserted India was not Hindi speaking states alone.

Buoyed by his party's performance in the Lok Sabha election, the Dravidian party chief for the first time said his party would take the initiative to oppose the BJP -albeit without naming it explicitly- in other states by working with outfits in those regions.

"The DMK will take constructive measures to replicate the Tamil Nadu model (of propping up secularism and DMK's victory in polls) in other states as well by coordinating with forces committed to communal harmony," he said in an open letter to party cadres.

On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected leader of the NDA, Stalin said this was the time to support and embrace people of all identities, states, adding "the days that Hindi speaking states alone was India has vanished."

The future was all about "constructive politics that centred around the states," the DMK chief said.

"No single state can be ignored whichever party took over reins of power at the Centre," Stalin asserted.

The DMK's voice will reverberate in Parliament and State Assembly to protect the people's interests, he said.

The DMK has won 23 seats and the front (Secular Progressive Alliance) led by it has won 37 of 38 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry (Congress) as well.

DMK will continue its "journey of victory," to protect people's interests, he said.

The historic win of his party-led front in the Lok Sabha polls showed the "secular approach," of the people which was nurtured by Dravidian stalwarts including reformist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy.

The people's verdict in Tamil Nadu showed that Dravidian movement -a reference to the DMK and a pointer to the Dravidian ideology which includes secularism and social justice- can never be decimated, he said.

As regards AIADMK's jibe that despite a good showing in the polls, DMK's goal has not been realised, he said it was a "reflection of the frustration of the ruling party and political rivals."

The DMK had vowed to return to power in the state by winning the bypolls to all the 22 Assembly seats and strongly pitched for a government led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the Centre.

Apart from emerging as the third biggest party in the Lok Sabha, the DMK has wrested 12 seats from the AIADMK pushing its total strength in the Assembly to 101, Stalin said.

The DMK retained Tiruvarur in the by-elections and totally won 13 constituencies in the Assembly bypolls while the ruling AIADMK won 9 segments warding off the probability of threat to its government.

The AIADMK's strength has now risen to 123 while 118 members are enough for a simple majority in the 234-member House.

Stalin credited the DMK's victory to party workers and support of allies including the Congress.

DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said no single state can be ignored by the government at the Centre and asserted India was not Hindi speaking states alone. Buoyed by his party's performance in the Lok Sabha election, the Dravidian party chief for the first time said his party would take the initiative to oppose the BJP -albeit without naming it explicitly- in other states by working with outfits in those regions.

DMK president M K Stalin Saturday said no single state can be ignored by the government at the Centre and asserted India was not Hindi speaking states alone. Buoyed by his party's performance in the Lok Sabha election, the Dravidian party chief for the first time said his party would take the initiative to oppose the BJP -albeit without naming it explicitly- in other states by working with outfits in those regions. "The DMK will take constructive measures to replicate the Tamil Nadu model (of propping up secularism and DMK's victory in polls) in other states as well by coordinating with forces committed to communal harmony," he said in an open letter to party cadres. On a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected leader of the NDA, Stalin said this was the time to support and embrace people of all identities, states, adding "the days that Hindi speaking states alone was India has vanished." The future was all about "constructive politics that centred around the states," the DMK chief said. "No single state can be ignored whichever party took over reins of power at the Centre," Stalin asserted. The DMK's voice will reverberate in Parliament and State Assembly to protect the people's interests, he said. The DMK has won 23 seats and the front (Secular Progressive Alliance) led by it has won 37 of 38 seats in Tamil Nadu and the lone seat in Puducherry (Congress) as well. DMK will continue its "journey of victory," to protect people's interests, he said. The historic win of his party-led front in the Lok Sabha polls showed the "secular approach," of the people which was nurtured by Dravidian stalwarts including reformist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy. The people's verdict in Tamil Nadu showed that Dravidian movement -a reference to the DMK and a pointer to the Dravidian ideology which includes secularism and social justice- can never be decimated, he said. As regards AIADMK's jibe that despite a good showing in the polls, DMK's goal has not been realised, he said it was a "reflection of the frustration of the ruling party and political rivals." The DMK had vowed to return to power in the state by winning the bypolls to all the 22 Assembly seats and strongly pitched for a government led by Congress president Rahul Gandhi at the Centre. Apart from emerging as the third biggest party in the Lok Sabha, the DMK has wrested 12 seats from the AIADMK pushing its total strength in the Assembly to 101, Stalin said. The DMK retained Tiruvarur in the by-elections and totally won 13 constituencies in the Assembly bypolls while the ruling AIADMK won 9 segments warding off the probability of threat to its government. The AIADMK's strength has now risen to 123 while 118 members are enough for a simple majority in the 234-member House. Stalin credited the DMK's victory to party workers and support of allies including the Congress.

India is not Hindi speaking states alone: DMK chief MK Stalin

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-2019-pm-modi-amit-shah-visits-lk-advani-and-murli-manohar-joshi-after-landslide-victory-221202">Veteran BJP leader L K Advani</a> Saturday expressed his happiness over BJP's massive victory in 2019 general elections and termed it as "historic".

Advani, who attended the NDA meeting in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP-led alliance, said all those who participated in the elections are "delighted" by the results.

Talking to reporters outside Parliament building, he said, "I am very happy this is a historic mandate. Everyone (from NDA) who came here participated in this election is really happy."

On Friday, both Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had visited Advani's house to seek his blessings after the party's massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. Modi had touched Advani's feet.

The Modi-led BJP won 303 seats out of 542 in general elections.&nbsp;

Advani had not contested general elections this time after he was not given ticket on the grounds of age limit of 75 years.

The veteran BJP leader, in a statement on Thursday, congratulated Modi for steering the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) towards an "unprecedented victory" in the elections.&nbsp;

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani Saturday expressed his happiness over BJP's massive victory in 2019 general elections and termed it as "historic". Advani, who attended the NDA meeting in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP-led alliance, said all those who participated in the elections are "delighted" by the results.

Veteran BJP leader L K Advani Saturday expressed his happiness over BJP's massive victory in 2019 general elections and termed it as "historic". Advani, who attended the NDA meeting in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi was elected as the leader of the BJP-led alliance, said all those who participated in the elections are "delighted" by the results. Talking to reporters outside Parliament building, he said, "I am very happy this is a historic mandate. Everyone (from NDA) who came here participated in this election is really happy." On Friday, both Modi and BJP president Amit Shah had visited Advani's house to seek his blessings after the party's massive victory in the Lok Sabha election. Modi had touched Advani's feet. The Modi-led BJP won 303 seats out of 542 in general elections. Advani had not contested general elections this time after he was not given ticket on the grounds of age limit of 75 years. The veteran BJP leader, in a statement on Thursday, congratulated Modi for steering the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) towards an "unprecedented victory" in the elections.

NDA's victory is historic: LK Advani

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said the next five years will be the time to regain the rightful position of India in the world order.

He was speaking at Ahmedabad&nbsp;at a function following the Lok Sabha election victory, which was kept simple and shorn of pomp because of the Surat fire tragedy.

"Next five years will be very important in the history of the country, as was the period between 1942 to 1947," Modi said addressing a huge gathering.

"Next five years will be the time to regain the rightful position of India in the world order. In the past our country had that place. I am sure India will regain its importance in the world order," he said.

Modi also expressed grief over the death of 22 students in Surat building fire tragedy.

"Till yesterday, I was in two minds whether to go for this felicitation function or not as on one hand, there was 'kartvya' (duty) and on the other hand, there was 'karuna' (compassion) for those who died in Surat. No amount of words can reduce the grief of the families who have lost their children in that tragedy," he said.

"On the other hand, I had to thank the people of the state and also take blessings of my mother as my duty," the prime minister added.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said the next five years will be the time to regain the rightful position of India in the world order. He was speaking at Ahmedabad at a function following the Lok Sabha election victory, which was kept simple and shorn of pomp because of the Surat fire tragedy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday said the next five years will be the time to regain the rightful position of India in the world order. He was speaking at Ahmedabad at a function following the Lok Sabha election victory, which was kept simple and shorn of pomp because of the Surat fire tragedy. "Next five years will be very important in the history of the country, as was the period between 1942 to 1947," Modi said addressing a huge gathering. "Next five years will be the time to regain the rightful position of India in the world order. In the past our country had that place. I am sure India will regain its importance in the world order," he said. Modi also expressed grief over the death of 22 students in Surat building fire tragedy. "Till yesterday, I was in two minds whether to go for this felicitation function or not as on one hand, there was 'kartvya' (duty) and on the other hand, there was 'karuna' (compassion) for those who died in Surat. No amount of words can reduce the grief of the families who have lost their children in that tragedy," he said. "On the other hand, I had to thank the people of the state and also take blessings of my mother as my duty," the prime minister added.

Next 5 years is time to regain India's lost position in world: PM Modi

Lack of organisational network and a strong disconnect with the rural population led to the fall of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/had-ensured-that-the-mp-from-amethi-would-be-chosen-from-our-party-smriti-irani-to-wion-221599">Congress stronghold Amethi</a>, which has remained loyal to the Gandhi family since 1980.

BJP's Smriti Irani defeated the Congress chief and sitting MP <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/lok-sabha-election-result-2019-at-cwc-meet-rahul-gandhi-offers-to-step-down-as-party-chief-committee-rejects-resignation-221506">Rahul Gandhi</a> by a margin of 55,120 votes.

Though the grand old party had been comfortably winning the seat, the victory had all through been thanks to the charisma and name of the Gandhi family without the support of the party organisation, political pundits opined. 
 
In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Gandhi had defeated Irani by 1,07,903 votes.

On the first real challenge, in the face of concerted campaigning by Irani, the Congress fortress came tumbling down since she had prepared and strengthened her organisation in this dusty constituency, 120 Km from the state capital.

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The constituency also laments that though <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/in-historic-lok-sabha-polls-2019-rahul-gandhi-scripts-two-electoral-records-221043">Rahul Gandhi</a> had been a frequent visitor during this three stints as the MP, he had not reached the remote areas and failed to make a connection with those in the rural areas.

"Rahul used to get down at the Fursatganj airport and drive straight to Amethi and all his activities were confined there only. When he did not give enough time to the people how will he get the votes," said wholesale trader Neel Singh of Salon Navin Mandi area.

Indicating that Rahul's connect with the electorate was superficial, Raju Solanki who runs a tea stall at Salon bus stand, said, "It is his team of advisors that has spoilt his chances.

"His programmes used to be finalised around the main localities and highways but in contrast Smriti Irani reached villages and houses to establish a direct dialogue with the locals, seeking votes for development and change and also benefitted through it," he explained.

The locals feel Priyanka's presence had also failed to make a difference as her programmes too were finalised by those who had little knowledge of the nerve of the constituency.

"You don't get votes merely by waving hands and moving about on the roads in big vehicles," a local, Khilawan Raj, said.

Kishori Lal, a strong Congress supporter said the new generation in the constituency are not aware of the works done by the Congress for the development of the area and so the youth got carried away by the "BJP's selling of their schemes."

"The youth here does not know that this was usar (infertile) land which was got treated during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhiji. They got carried away by the BJP propaganda, and the manner in which they literally sold the central government schemes in the election market," Lal claimed.

Asha Singh of Pipri village said Smriti Irani went to every gram panchayat for canvassing and this appears to have made an impact.

Besides, they feel that local party leadership and staff of Rahul Gandhi had adopted a very high-handed attitude towards the people.

"They seem to have held the MP's office captive... It was easy to meet Rahul Gandhi than to meet his representatives who had to take follow up action of the works assigned by him for completion," Ram Pujan, a small trader said.

Political pundits say that the process of Congress' defeat in Amethi had started with its losses in the Assembly polls.

In the 2017 UP assembly polls, the Congress failed to win even a single seat though the BJP managed to bag four and Samajwadi Party one seat in the Lok Sabha constituency.

In the 2012 Assembly polls too, the Congress had only one seat - Jagdishpur - while rivals had taken up the remaining seats.

"Why the Congress leadership preferred to ignore taking corrective measures despite a poor show in Assembly polls is not understandable," they wonder.

Union minister Irani said on Friday that her win was not a "rocket science" as people of the Lok Sabha constituency wanted a representative who would work for them for the next five years.

Her victory was due to the development agenda of the Modi government, she said, adding that people of Amethi had reposed their trust in her by voting in large numbers for the BJP in 2014 and that she worked in the past five years to keep their faith.&nbsp;

Lack of organisational network and a strong disconnect with the rural population led to the fall of the Congress stronghold Amethi, which has remained loyal to the Gandhi family since 1980.

Lack of organisational network and a strong disconnect with the rural population led to the fall of the Congress stronghold Amethi, which has remained loyal to the Gandhi family since 1980. BJP's Smriti Irani defeated the Congress chief and sitting MP Rahul Gandhi by a margin of 55,120 votes. Though the grand old party had been comfortably winning the seat, the victory had all through been thanks to the charisma and name of the Gandhi family without the support of the party organisation, political pundits opined. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, Gandhi had defeated Irani by 1,07,903 votes. On the first real challenge, in the face of concerted campaigning by Irani, the Congress fortress came tumbling down since she had prepared and strengthened her organisation in this dusty constituency, 120 Km from the state capital. × The constituency also laments that though Rahul Gandhi had been a frequent visitor during this three stints as the MP, he had not reached the remote areas and failed to make a connection with those in the rural areas. "Rahul used to get down at the Fursatganj airport and drive straight to Amethi and all his activities were confined there only. When he did not give enough time to the people how will he get the votes," said wholesale trader Neel Singh of Salon Navin Mandi area. Indicating that Rahul's connect with the electorate was superficial, Raju Solanki who runs a tea stall at Salon bus stand, said, "It is his team of advisors that has spoilt his chances. "His programmes used to be finalised around the main localities and highways but in contrast Smriti Irani reached villages and houses to establish a direct dialogue with the locals, seeking votes for development and change and also benefitted through it," he explained. The locals feel Priyanka's presence had also failed to make a difference as her programmes too were finalised by those who had little knowledge of the nerve of the constituency. "You don't get votes merely by waving hands and moving about on the roads in big vehicles," a local, Khilawan Raj, said. Kishori Lal, a strong Congress supporter said the new generation in the constituency are not aware of the works done by the Congress for the development of the area and so the youth got carried away by the "BJP's selling of their schemes." "The youth here does not know that this was usar (infertile) land which was got treated during the tenure of Rajiv Gandhiji. They got carried away by the BJP propaganda, and the manner in which they literally sold the central government schemes in the election market," Lal claimed. Asha Singh of Pipri village said Smriti Irani went to every gram panchayat for canvassing and this appears to have made an impact. Besides, they feel that local party leadership and staff of Rahul Gandhi had adopted a very high-handed attitude towards the people. "They seem to have held the MP's office captive... It was easy to meet Rahul Gandhi than to meet his representatives who had to take follow up action of the works assigned by him for completion," Ram Pujan, a small trader said. Political pundits say that the process of Congress' defeat in Amethi had started with its losses in the Assembly polls. In the 2017 UP assembly polls, the Congress failed to win even a single seat though the BJP managed to bag four and Samajwadi Party one seat in the Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2012 Assembly polls too, the Congress had only one seat - Jagdishpur - while rivals had taken up the remaining seats. "Why the Congress leadership preferred to ignore taking corrective measures despite a poor show in Assembly polls is not understandable," they wonder. Union minister Irani said on Friday that her win was not a "rocket science" as people of the Lok Sabha constituency wanted a representative who would work for them for the next five years. Her victory was due to the development agenda of the Modi government, she said, adding that people of Amethi had reposed their trust in her by voting in large numbers for the BJP in 2014 and that she worked in the past five years to keep their faith.

The fall of Amethi: Why did Rahul Gandhi lose Congress stronghold?

A total of 475 members of the new Lok Sabha are 'crorepatis' with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath topping the list, the Association of Democratic Reforms said Sunday.

The ADR arrived at the figure of 'crorepati' MPs after analysing the affidavits on assets and liabilities of 539 new MPs.&nbsp;

The ADR said it was unable to access affidavits of three of the 542 new MPs -- two of the BJP and one of the Congress. The BJP won 303 seats in the 17th Lok Sabha and the Congress 52.

Elections were held for 542 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. The election for Vellore Lok Sabha seat had been cancelled by the Election Commission of India, citing abuse of money power. A fresh date is yet to be announced. Two members of the 545-strong House are nominated.

Out of the 301 new BJP MPs, whose affidavits were examined, 265 (88 per cent) were found crorepati, while all 18 winners of its NDA partner Shiv Sena had assets exceeding Rs one crore.

In Congress, 43 out of its 51 MPs (totalling 96 per cent) were fund to be 'crorepati'.

Similarly, 22 (96 per cent) out of 23 DMK MPs, 20 (91 per cent) out of 22 of the Trinamool Congress MPs and 19 (86 per cent)out of 22 YSR Congress MPs had assets exceeding Rs one crore.

The top three crorepatis MPs are from the Congress, the ADR said.

Nath, who won from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, has declared assets worth Rs 660 crore, followed by Vasanthakumar H from Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu (Rs 417 crore) and D K Suresh from Bengaluru Rural, Karnataka (Rs 338 crore).&nbsp;

The average of assets per winner in the Lok Sabha elections is Rs 20.93 crore.&nbsp;

There are 266 members in the new Lok Sabha whose assets are Rs 5 core or above.

The number of crorepati MPs elected in 2009 Lok Sabha elections was 315 (58 per cent) and 443 (82 per cent) in 2014.

A total of 475 members of the new Lok Sabha are 'crorepatis' with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath topping the list, the Association of Democratic Reforms said Sunday.

A total of 475 members of the new Lok Sabha are 'crorepatis' with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath topping the list, the Association of Democratic Reforms said Sunday. The ADR arrived at the figure of 'crorepati' MPs after analysing the affidavits on assets and liabilities of 539 new MPs. The ADR said it was unable to access affidavits of three of the 542 new MPs -- two of the BJP and one of the Congress. The BJP won 303 seats in the 17th Lok Sabha and the Congress 52. Elections were held for 542 of the 543 Lok Sabha seats. The election for Vellore Lok Sabha seat had been cancelled by the Election Commission of India, citing abuse of money power. A fresh date is yet to be announced. Two members of the 545-strong House are nominated. Out of the 301 new BJP MPs, whose affidavits were examined, 265 (88 per cent) were found crorepati, while all 18 winners of its NDA partner Shiv Sena had assets exceeding Rs one crore. In Congress, 43 out of its 51 MPs (totalling 96 per cent) were fund to be 'crorepati'. Similarly, 22 (96 per cent) out of 23 DMK MPs, 20 (91 per cent) out of 22 of the Trinamool Congress MPs and 19 (86 per cent)out of 22 YSR Congress MPs had assets exceeding Rs one crore. The top three crorepatis MPs are from the Congress, the ADR said. Nath, who won from Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh, has declared assets worth Rs 660 crore, followed by Vasanthakumar H from Kanniyakumari, Tamil Nadu (Rs 417 crore) and D K Suresh from Bengaluru Rural, Karnataka (Rs 338 crore). The average of assets per winner in the Lok Sabha elections is Rs 20.93 crore. There are 266 members in the new Lok Sabha whose assets are Rs 5 core or above. The number of crorepati MPs elected in 2009 Lok Sabha elections was 315 (58 per cent) and 443 (82 per cent) in 2014.

New Lok Sabha has 475 'crorepati' MPs: Association of Democratic Reforms

Rukmani Singh, the wife of <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/india-news/former-village-head-and-smriti-iranis-close-aide-shot-dead-in-amethi-221655">Surendra Singh</a>, a close associate of Amethi`s newly-elected <a href="http://cms.wionews.com/india-news/smriti-irani-says-she-will-knock-superme-courts-door-to-get-death-sentence-to-surendra-singhs-killers-221794">MP Smriti Irani</a>, on Sunday alleged that her husband was killed only because he helped Irani win the recently held polls.

Speaking to ANI, she said, "He did not have any rivalry with anyone. It was only after he supported and helped Irani win that he was killed. He was killed due to politics."

Terming Irani her `didi` (older sister), Rukmani said the BJP leader assured support to the bereaved family.&nbsp;

"Didi came to us and said she will take care of my children as her own. She also said that the whole BJP Samaj is with us," Rukmani said.

Surendra`s daughter Pratima Singh added, "Irani ji has given us hope that she is with our family and will look after our security. Two policemen have been sent by them for our safety."

Earlier, Surendra`s son had alleged that Congress supporters were involved in the killing of his father.

"My father was a close aide of Smriti Irani and campaigned 24x7 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. After she was elected as an MP, a victory procession was carried out. I believe some Congress supporters didn`t like it. We have suspicions on some people," the deceased`s son had said.

Surendra Singh was shot by unidentified assailants when he was sleeping in the verandah of his house in Baraulia village of Amethi at around 3 am on Sunday.&nbsp;

He was rushed to a trauma centre in Lucknow where he breathed his last.

Rukmani Singh, the wife of Surendra Singh, a close associate of Amethi`s newly-elected MP Smriti Irani, on Sunday alleged that her husband was killed only because he helped Irani win the recently held polls.

Rukmani Singh, the wife of Surendra Singh, a close associate of Amethi`s newly-elected MP Smriti Irani, on Sunday alleged that her husband was killed only because he helped Irani win the recently held polls. Speaking to ANI, she said, "He did not have any rivalry with anyone. It was only after he supported and helped Irani win that he was killed. He was killed due to politics." Terming Irani her `didi` (older sister), Rukmani said the BJP leader assured support to the bereaved family. "Didi came to us and said she will take care of my children as her own. She also said that the whole BJP Samaj is with us," Rukmani said. Surendra`s daughter Pratima Singh added, "Irani ji has given us hope that she is with our family and will look after our security. Two policemen have been sent by them for our safety." Earlier, Surendra`s son had alleged that Congress supporters were involved in the killing of his father. "My father was a close aide of Smriti Irani and campaigned 24x7 ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. After she was elected as an MP, a victory procession was carried out. I believe some Congress supporters didn`t like it. We have suspicions on some people," the deceased`s son had said. Surendra Singh was shot by unidentified assailants when he was sleeping in the verandah of his house in Baraulia village of Amethi at around 3 am on Sunday. He was rushed to a trauma centre in Lucknow where he breathed his last.

Surendra Singh killed for supporting Smriti Irani, claims wife

The Election Commission is yet to receive a final tally of mandatory matching of paper trail machine slips with EVM results of five randomly picked polling booths in each assembly segment across all constituencies.

But a top EC official said Saturday that no discrepancy has been reported from any of the 542 constituencies.

Paper slips of more than 20,600 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were counted in more than 4,000 assembly segments

After VVPATs were introduced, no discrepancy in the tallying of votes polled through EVMs has been reported in the previous assembly elections.

It is for the first time that the matching of paper trail machines slips with voting machines was held in a Lok Sabha election.

Elections in the Vellore constituency of Tamil Nadu were cancelled by the EC citing excessive use of money power.

No new date has so far been announced by the EC.

The Election Commission is yet to receive a final tally of mandatory matching of paper trail machine slips with EVM results of five randomly picked polling booths in each assembly segment across all constituencies.

The Election Commission is yet to receive a final tally of mandatory matching of paper trail machine slips with EVM results of five randomly picked polling booths in each assembly segment across all constituencies. But a top EC official said Saturday that no discrepancy has been reported from any of the 542 constituencies. Paper slips of more than 20,600 Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines were counted in more than 4,000 assembly segments After VVPATs were introduced, no discrepancy in the tallying of votes polled through EVMs has been reported in the previous assembly elections. It is for the first time that the matching of paper trail machines slips with voting machines was held in a Lok Sabha election. Elections in the Vellore constituency of Tamil Nadu were cancelled by the EC citing excessive use of money power. No new date has so far been announced by the EC.

Election Commission yet to receive tally of mandatory matching of paper trail machine slips

Adding<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/the-fall-of-amethi-why-did-rahul-gandhi-lose-congress-stronghold-221658"> insult to injury</a>, Congress candidates lost their deposits in both Allahabad and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Prayagraj, a region traditionally considered a Congress fortress.

In Uttar Pradesh - the most politically significant state - the only saving grace for Congress was Raebareli, the seat won by Sonia Gandhi. In most of the other 79 parliamentary constituencies, the grand old party was decimated to humiliating lows.

Particularly in Allahabad and Phulpur, Congress' could not even field candidates from its own cadre for the crucial seats.

Yogesh Shukla, who crossed over from BJP days before filing nomination, was fielded from Allahabad seat. Pankaj Niranjan, the son-in-law of Apna Dal faction's Krishna Patel, was given Congress ticket from Phulpur.

Both leaders failed to make any impact and subsequently lost their deposits.

Shukla got a meagre 3.59 per cent of the total votes polled in Allahabad, Niranjan's vote share stood at a pitiably low of 3.35 per cent in Phulpur.

According to the Election Commission's guidelines, a candidate loses their deposit if they fail to win at least 1/6th (16.67 per cent) of the total votes polled in the constituency. Candidates contesting are required to submit Rs 25,000 as a security deposit.

Analysis: What poll losses in Guna and Amethi mean for Congress

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It is said that the top Congress leadership foresaw the humiliating defeat of their candidates on both seats as neither party president Rahul Gandhi nor his sister and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra campaigned for them.

Both the Lok Sabha seats voted in the penultimate phase of elections on May 12.

Taking moral responsibility of the defeat, party presidents of Prayagraj district and city units have offered their resignations.

"The kind of influence Congress used to enjoy in Allahabad is now vanishing from the hearts of the people. We are trying to find out the reason behind this change. We will try to once again take the party to the people," party's Prayagraj unit president Haseeb Ahmed said.

Phulpur was first represented by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru after his victory in 1951 Lok Sabha elections, first polls after the nation secured independence. After Nehru's demise, his sister Vijay Laxmi Pandit won two Lok Sabha elections in 1964 (bypoll) and 1967 from the constituency.

In 1969, Janeshwar Mishra of Samyukta Socialist Party won the by-poll in Phulpur sweeping the Congress for the first time.

Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was a good friend of Rajiv Gandhi, won the Allahabad seat for Congress in 1984 Lok polls. Bachchan had defeated former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna.

History took an unprecedented turn after 25 years when Bahuguna's daughter and state cabinet minister, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, also a BJP turncoat, handed a humiliating defeat to the Congress candidate Allahabad.

With the district Congress office bearers taking responsibility and offering to quit, political pundits say, the grand old party's hold will further deteriorate in the holy city.

Getting just one seat out of 80, despite Priyanka Gandhi being in-charge of the party's fortunes in the eastern part, has been a massive blow for the Congress.

Rahul Gandhi losing Amethi to BJP's Smriti Irani was one of the biggest takeaways of the 2019 polls. The seat - considered till now as a Nehru-Gandhi bastion - was represented by Rahul since 2004, however, he managed a massive victory from Kerala's Wayanad.

The national picture was equally dismal for the Congress as they managed to bag just 52 seats, far behind BJP's massive 303.

&nbsp;

Adding insult to injury, Congress candidates lost their deposits in both Allahabad and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Prayagraj, a region traditionally considered a Congress fortress.

Adding insult to injury, Congress candidates lost their deposits in both Allahabad and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Prayagraj, a region traditionally considered a Congress fortress. In Uttar Pradesh - the most politically significant state - the only saving grace for Congress was Raebareli, the seat won by Sonia Gandhi. In most of the other 79 parliamentary constituencies, the grand old party was decimated to humiliating lows. Particularly in Allahabad and Phulpur, Congress' could not even field candidates from its own cadre for the crucial seats. Yogesh Shukla, who crossed over from BJP days before filing nomination, was fielded from Allahabad seat. Pankaj Niranjan, the son-in-law of Apna Dal faction's Krishna Patel, was given Congress ticket from Phulpur. Both leaders failed to make any impact and subsequently lost their deposits. Shukla got a meagre 3.59 per cent of the total votes polled in Allahabad, Niranjan's vote share stood at a pitiably low of 3.35 per cent in Phulpur. According to the Election Commission's guidelines, a candidate loses their deposit if they fail to win at least 1/6th (16.67 per cent) of the total votes polled in the constituency. Candidates contesting are required to submit Rs 25,000 as a security deposit. Analysis: What poll losses in Guna and Amethi mean for Congress × It is said that the top Congress leadership foresaw the humiliating defeat of their candidates on both seats as neither party president Rahul Gandhi nor his sister and general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra campaigned for them. Both the Lok Sabha seats voted in the penultimate phase of elections on May 12. Taking moral responsibility of the defeat, party presidents of Prayagraj district and city units have offered their resignations. "The kind of influence Congress used to enjoy in Allahabad is now vanishing from the hearts of the people. We are trying to find out the reason behind this change. We will try to once again take the party to the people," party's Prayagraj unit president Haseeb Ahmed said. Phulpur was first represented by India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru after his victory in 1951 Lok Sabha elections, first polls after the nation secured independence. After Nehru's demise, his sister Vijay Laxmi Pandit won two Lok Sabha elections in 1964 (bypoll) and 1967 from the constituency. In 1969, Janeshwar Mishra of Samyukta Socialist Party won the by-poll in Phulpur sweeping the Congress for the first time. Veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, who was a good friend of Rajiv Gandhi, won the Allahabad seat for Congress in 1984 Lok polls. Bachchan had defeated former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna. History took an unprecedented turn after 25 years when Bahuguna's daughter and state cabinet minister, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, also a BJP turncoat, handed a humiliating defeat to the Congress candidate Allahabad. With the district Congress office bearers taking responsibility and offering to quit, political pundits say, the grand old party's hold will further deteriorate in the holy city. Getting just one seat out of 80, despite Priyanka Gandhi being in-charge of the party's fortunes in the eastern part, has been a massive blow for the Congress. Rahul Gandhi losing Amethi to BJP's Smriti Irani was one of the biggest takeaways of the 2019 polls. The seat - considered till now as a Nehru-Gandhi bastion - was represented by Rahul since 2004, however, he managed a massive victory from Kerala's Wayanad. The national picture was equally dismal for the Congress as they managed to bag just 52 seats, far behind BJP's massive 303.

Once Congress fortresses, candidates lose deposits in Allahabad, Phulpur

The BJP on Saturday described TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's offer to quit as West Bengal chief minister as "drama" and claimed her government will fall on its own and the saffron party will not need to topple it.

Banerjee offered to quit as chief minister following her party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, but the TMC rejected it.

"It is good that at least she has accepted defeat. But her offer to quit is nothing but a drama to garner sympathy," BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

Reacting to Banerjee's comment that BJP will commit a mistake if it tries to topple her government, Vijayvargiya said it will fall on its own.

He said, "We will not topple it. It will fall on its own. TMC leaders have lost confidence in her. They are fed up.

If they come to us and crib about her misrule and authoritarian approach, what can we do?" Bengal witnessed a saffron surge in the Lok Sabha polls as the BJP inflicted a blow to ruling TMC by winning 18 of total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The TMC won 22 seats, down from 34 in 2014.

Addressing her first press conference after the election results were declared, she Saturday accused the BJP of polarising people on religious lines to garner votes in West Bengal and wondered if some "sort of setting or foreign power" played a role in such a huge victory of the saffron party.

The BJP on Saturday described TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's offer to quit as West Bengal chief minister as "drama" and claimed her government will fall on its own and the saffron party will not need to topple it.

The BJP on Saturday described TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's offer to quit as West Bengal chief minister as "drama" and claimed her government will fall on its own and the saffron party will not need to topple it. Banerjee offered to quit as chief minister following her party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, but the TMC rejected it. "It is good that at least she has accepted defeat. But her offer to quit is nothing but a drama to garner sympathy," BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said. Reacting to Banerjee's comment that BJP will commit a mistake if it tries to topple her government, Vijayvargiya said it will fall on its own. He said, "We will not topple it. It will fall on its own. TMC leaders have lost confidence in her. They are fed up. If they come to us and crib about her misrule and authoritarian approach, what can we do?" Bengal witnessed a saffron surge in the Lok Sabha polls as the BJP inflicted a blow to ruling TMC by winning 18 of total 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The TMC won 22 seats, down from 34 in 2014. Addressing her first press conference after the election results were declared, she Saturday accused the BJP of polarising people on religious lines to garner votes in West Bengal and wondered if some "sort of setting or foreign power" played a role in such a huge victory of the saffron party.

BJP mocks Mamata Banerjee's offer to quit the chief minister post as 'drama'

The swearing-in ceremony of the new government is scheduled to take place on May 30 when&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/focus-is-now-on-the-next-five-years-team-will-deliver-better-pm-modi-221500">Narendra Modi</a> along with the Members of Union Council of Ministers will take the oath.

The President will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the Prime Minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers at 7 pm on May 30, 2019, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a tweet said from President of India official handle.

The oath ceremony will be held at 7pm in&nbsp;Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Modi staked claim to form the government on Saturday after he was unanimously elected as leader of the NDA coalition.&nbsp;

An NDA delegation led by BJP President Amit Shah handed over a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-stakes-claim-to-form-the-government-swearing-in-likely-on-may-30-221611">letter&nbsp;to the President stating&nbsp;</a>that Narendra Modi had been elected as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party.&nbsp;

Watch: PM Modi meets President Kovind to stake claim to form govt

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Letters of support from NDA constituent parties were also handed over to the President.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new government is scheduled to take place on May 30 when Narendra Modi along with the Members of Union Council of Ministers will take the oath.

The swearing-in ceremony of the new government is scheduled to take place on May 30 when Narendra Modi along with the Members of Union Council of Ministers will take the oath. The President will administer the oath of office and secrecy to the Prime Minister and other members of the Union Council of Ministers at 7 pm on May 30, 2019, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, a tweet said from President of India official handle. The oath ceremony will be held at 7pm in Rashtrapati Bhavan. Modi staked claim to form the government on Saturday after he was unanimously elected as leader of the NDA coalition. An NDA delegation led by BJP President Amit Shah handed over a letter to the President stating that Narendra Modi had been elected as the leader of the BJP Parliamentary Party. Watch: PM Modi meets President Kovind to stake claim to form govt × Letters of support from NDA constituent parties were also handed over to the President.

Narendra Modi to be sworn in as Prime Minister on May 30 at 7pm

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik on Sunday met Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal and staked claim to form a government in the state for a fifth consecutive time.

Patnaik`s meeting with the Governor took place after newly elected BJD MLAs held a meeting in the state capital and elected the former as their leader.

Speaking to media, Patnaik said, "MLAs of BJD have elected me as the leader of their legislature party.

I am very grateful to them and I am now going to see the Governor.

"He also said that party MPs have been told to take "Odisha`s demands forward and work hard for the people".

Earlier in the day, newly elected BJD MPs also met with Patnaik in Bhubaneswar.BJD put up a tough fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and managed to retain 12 of the 21 seats in the state.

Patnaik won from two Assembly segments, Hinjili under the Aska Lok Sabha seat in southern Odisha and Bijapur in the Bargarh Lok Sabha seat in western Odisha. While BJP won 8 seats in the state, one went to the Indian National Congress (INC).

The parliamentary elections saw stalwarts such as BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra being defeated by BJD`s sitting MP Pinaki Misra from the Puri parliamentary constituency. Patnaik`s party was able to contain the BJP, although it could not stop the national party from making inroads into its bastion.

Elections for the 147 seats in the Odisha Legislative Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats were held simultaneously in the state.&nbsp;

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik on Sunday met Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal and staked claim to form a government in the state for a fifth consecutive time.

Odisha Chief Minister and BJD leader Naveen Patnaik on Sunday met Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal and staked claim to form a government in the state for a fifth consecutive time. Patnaik`s meeting with the Governor took place after newly elected BJD MLAs held a meeting in the state capital and elected the former as their leader. Speaking to media, Patnaik said, "MLAs of BJD have elected me as the leader of their legislature party. I am very grateful to them and I am now going to see the Governor. "He also said that party MPs have been told to take "Odisha`s demands forward and work hard for the people". Earlier in the day, newly elected BJD MPs also met with Patnaik in Bhubaneswar.BJD put up a tough fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and managed to retain 12 of the 21 seats in the state. Patnaik won from two Assembly segments, Hinjili under the Aska Lok Sabha seat in southern Odisha and Bijapur in the Bargarh Lok Sabha seat in western Odisha. While BJP won 8 seats in the state, one went to the Indian National Congress (INC). The parliamentary elections saw stalwarts such as BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra being defeated by BJD`s sitting MP Pinaki Misra from the Puri parliamentary constituency. Patnaik`s party was able to contain the BJP, although it could not stop the national party from making inroads into its bastion. Elections for the 147 seats in the Odisha Legislative Assembly and 21 Lok Sabha seats were held simultaneously in the state.

Odisha: Naveen Patnaik chosen leader of BJD legislative party, meets Governor

YSRCP chief Jaganmohan Reddy meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi

YSR Congress Party chief <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaganmohan-to-meet-modi-tomorrow-likely-discuss-outside-or-issue-based-support-to-modi-govt-221555">Jaganmohan Reddy</a> arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting. He also met BJP president Amit Shah.&nbsp;

The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate discussed the issues of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the state's financial situation.

Reddy also sought central funds during the meeting with PM Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, PTI reported.

Reddy is expected to interact with officials at Andhra Bhawan later in the day.

On Saturday, he was unanimously elected as the leader of YSRC legislature party.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: YSRCP Chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrives in Delhi. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. <a href="https://t.co/ip3nQilyyU">pic.twitter.com/ip3nQilyyU</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1132508483226439680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Time and again, Reddy had said that his party would support whoever promises Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status.

Reddy's YSRCP registered a mammoth victory in state Assembly elections, ousting TDP supremo out of power in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp;

The YSRCP bagged 151 Assembly seats out of the total 175 seats and 22 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats. Reddy is likely to take oath as the CM on May 30.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-votes-jagan-reddy-trumps-chandrababu-naidu-221165/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, congratulated Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls.

"Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi tweeted.

YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting.

YSR Congress Party chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrived in the national capital on Sunday. Shortly after his arrival, he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi. V Vijaya Sai Reddy and other leaders of YSRCP were also present during the meeting. He also met BJP president Amit Shah. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister designate discussed the issues of special category status to Andhra Pradesh and the state's financial situation. Reddy also sought central funds during the meeting with PM Modi at his 7, Lok Kalyan Marg residence, PTI reported. Reddy is expected to interact with officials at Andhra Bhawan later in the day. On Saturday, he was unanimously elected as the leader of YSRC legislature party. #WATCH: YSRCP Chief Jaganmohan Reddy arrives in Delhi. He will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. pic.twitter.com/ip3nQilyyU — ANI (@ANI) May 26, 2019 × Time and again, Reddy had said that his party would support whoever promises Andhra Pradesh the Special Category Status. Reddy's YSRCP registered a mammoth victory in state Assembly elections, ousting TDP supremo out of power in Andhra Pradesh. The YSRCP bagged 151 Assembly seats out of the total 175 seats and 22 of its 25 Lok Sabha seats. Reddy is likely to take oath as the CM on May 30. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, congratulated Reddy on the "remarkable" win in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls. "Congratulations on the remarkable win in Andhra Pradesh. Best wishes to you for a successful tenure," Modi tweeted.

YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy meets PM Narendra Modi, discusses special status to Andhra

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/pm-modi-to-visit-gujarat-on-sunday-to-seek-blessings-of-mother-will-head-to-varanasi-on-monday-221475">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> on Friday evening addressed his Office (PMO) staff at the end of his first term.&nbsp;

Speaking at the lawn of the South Block, the prime minister said that teamwork has led to this historic win, adding that throughout these five years, the party didn't divert its dedication.&nbsp;

PM Modi said that his team is better now and is ready to deliver better.&nbsp;

"The focus is now on the next five years," he said as he interacted with the PMO staff.&nbsp;

Beating the anti-incumbency of his first five years in power, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday secured an even greater mandate for the second straight term.

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Will be going to Gujarat tomorrow evening, to seek blessings of my Mother. Day after tomorrow morning, I will be in Kashi to thank the people of this great land for reposing their faith in me.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1132145099767517185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Marking another historic victory, PM Modi-led BJP crossed over 300 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The party had won 282 seats in the 2014 general election.

Prime Minister Modi will in Gujarat Gujarat on Sunday to seek blessings from his mother.&nbsp;

In a tweet posted on Saturday, the prime minister stated that he will be in Gujarat on Sunday after which he will head to his Parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, on Monday "to thank the people of this great land for reposing their faith in me," his tweet read.

"Will be going to Gujarat tomorrow evening, to seek blessings of my Mother. Day after tomorrow morning, I will be in Kashi to thank the people of this great land for reposing their faith in me," PM Modi had tweeted.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening addressed his Office (PMO) staff at the end of his first term. Speaking at the lawn of the South Block, the prime minister said that teamwork has led to this historic win, adding that throughout these five years, the party didn't divert its dedication.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening addressed his Office (PMO) staff at the end of his first term. Speaking at the lawn of the South Block, the prime minister said that teamwork has led to this historic win, adding that throughout these five years, the party didn't divert its dedication. PM Modi said that his team is better now and is ready to deliver better. "The focus is now on the next five years," he said as he interacted with the PMO staff. Beating the anti-incumbency of his first five years in power, Prime Minister Modi on Thursday secured an even greater mandate for the second straight term. Will be going to Gujarat tomorrow evening, to seek blessings of my Mother. Day after tomorrow morning, I will be in Kashi to thank the people of this great land for reposing their faith in me. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 25, 2019 × Marking another historic victory, PM Modi-led BJP crossed over 300 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. The party had won 282 seats in the 2014 general election. Prime Minister Modi will in Gujarat Gujarat on Sunday to seek blessings from his mother. In a tweet posted on Saturday, the prime minister stated that he will be in Gujarat on Sunday after which he will head to his Parliamentary constituency, Varanasi, on Monday "to thank the people of this great land for reposing their faith in me," his tweet read. "Will be going to Gujarat tomorrow evening, to seek blessings of my Mother. Day after tomorrow morning, I will be in Kashi to thank the people of this great land for reposing their faith in me," PM Modi had tweeted.

Focus is now on next five years, team will deliver better: PM Modi 

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The Prime Minister sat down with the PMO staff, which consisted of all levels of the office from the Principal Secretary, National Security Advisor to the Under Secretaries, Section Officers and other supporting staff. The PMO congratulated PM Modi for the thumping victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

PM Modi interacts with entire PMO staff in New Delhi

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India Election Watch; 24th May, 2019

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